Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has hailed Lionel Messi for what he described as a “superhuman” performance in Argentina’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the veteran forward has evolved into a football “AI” version of himself.
Messi produced a stunning display as Argentina began their title defence with a 3-0 win over Algeria, netting a hat-trick in a game played just days before his 39th birthday.
The treble also took him level with German legend Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, further cementing his place in the tournament’s history books.
Reacting during his programme, Global Football Insights with Oliseh, on Wednesday, Oliseh said the Argentine’s consistency and dominance at such an age were without precedent in football history.
“This is Lionel Messi AI. There is no other way to describe this. Never in the history of football has a 38-year-old man performed as Messi did yesterday.
“Not only did he score three goals in an opening match, but the manner in which he scored them is remarkable,” Oliseh said.
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The former Ajax midfielder went on to note that Messi’s brilliance reminded him of a long-held nickname used by someone close to him, but argued that recent performances have taken the description to another level.
A childhood friend of mine has consistently referred to Messi as the oracle for the past 15 years. Based on what I observed yesterday, I will now refer to him as Lionel Messi AI.
It is not solely due to his three goals, but rather the manner in which he achieved them.
“Now, you know I have a passion for shooting. The way he struck the ball for the third goal, the precision, the movement.
And Messi does not merely score tap-in goals; he certainly walks. But consider it this way,” he said.